Pressure building among Coalition MPs to sack Barnaby Joyce

Political pressure is building in Canberra to remove Barnaby Joyce as Nationals leader and deputy prime minister in light of the public scandal over his marriage breakdown and affair with former media advisor, Vikki Campion.

Liberal and National Party backbenchers and Cabinet ministers have lost faith in Mr Joyce's credibility and said that the scandal has caused his reputation too much damage for him to survive as deputy, Nine's political editor Chris Uhlmann said last night.

"He might just pull through because he is a fighter and because the National Party so rarely rolls its leaders, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was gone by the end of the week," he said.

"His future is now in the hands of the 21 very nervous National Party members."

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has once again backed his deputy, Barnaby Joyce, amid mounting political pressure over a possible breach of the Ministerial Code of Conduct (AAP). (AAP)

A handful of federal Nationals politicians are reportedly angling for Mr Joyce to give up the party's leadership.

AAP reports a group of about four or five Nationals MPs are trying to get Mr Joyce to resign but they don't have the numbers in the 21-member party room to force a change.

Veterans Affairs Minister Michael McCormack, who missed out twice on becoming deputy leader, last night denied he had been having conversations with colleagues to replace Mr Joyce.

Mr Turnbull was peppered with questions today during Question Time about Mr Joyce and his affair with former advisor, Vikki Campion (AAP). (AAP)Earlier today, My Joyce apologised to his estramged wife and children for the public scandal over his marriage break-up and affair with Ms Campion (AAP). ()

The pressure comes after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull again backed his deputy, as questions about Mr Joyce dominated Question Time for a second day. But again, the endorsement wasn't overwhelming.

Mr Turnbull simply replied "yes" when Opposition Leader Bill Shorten asked if he still had confidence in Mr Joyce.

Labor tried, but has yet to land a knock out blow, or find a smoking gun, as it peppered the Prime Minister with questions about any possible breach of the Ministerial Code of Conduct during Mr Joyce's affair with former media advisor Ms Campion.

Australian Conservatives Leader, Senator Cory Bernardi, had his own unique take on the Joyce scandal.

"There are two expectations the Australian people have," senator Bernardi told 9NEWS.

"One is (that) they're not going to get screwed by their government, and two, that the ministers in that government won't be screwing their staff.

"Ultimately I think this is going to come to a very unhappy conclusion."

Opposition frontbencher Richard Marles also made mischief by referring to the resignation today of New Zealand Nationals leader, Bill English.

"Would the Prime Minister like to reflect on the legacy of a former leader of the National Party?" he asked, as Coalition MPs question if Mr Joyce can survive.

A slightly taken aback Malcolm Turnbull went on to praise the one-time Kiwi PM.

Early today, Mr Joyce apologised to his wife and daughters for the public scandal over his marriage break-up and the affair with Ms Campion, now pregnant with his child.

After days of mounting pressure and more and more damaging allegations, Mr Joyce made a brief statement saying he wanted his wife to know "how deeply sorry I am for the hurt this caused."

"To my girls, how deeply sorry I am for all the hurt it has caused them," he said.

He also apologised to Ms Campion that "she has been dragged into this".

And he apologised to his supporters and electorate of New England, that "this deeply personal issue has gone public".

The deputy prime minister also addressed questions about whether he'd breached the Ministerial Code of Conduct, by having Ms Campion employed in two other National Party offices after she left his staff.

The code stipulates spouses or partners cannot be employed in executive government positions.

Mr Joyce said, at the time, Ms Campion was not his partner.

"It is without a shadow of a doubt that Vikki Campion is my partner now," he said.